"Professional press organisation" is a defined concept in the legislation and it carries concrete powers in the press card regime.
The Definition
Art. 4 of the Press Card Regulation defines it: a professional press organisation means the associations, foundations and unions formed by the staff, owners, legal person representatives or board chairs of media outlets coming together, and the umbrella bodies they form.
| Element | Content |
|---|---|
| Who forms it | Media outlet staff, owners, legal person representatives or board chairs |
| In what form | An association, foundation or union |
| Umbrella body | The umbrella bodies they form are also within the definition |
First Role: Designating Commission Members
Art. 30 of the Regulation provides that part of the nineteen members of the Press Card Commission are designated by professional organisations:
| Subpara. | Who designates | Members |
|---|---|---|
| b | The professional organisation with the most press-card-holding members among those formed by the owners and/or staff of periodicals | 1 |
| c | One member each from the professional organisations with the most press-card-holding members in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, plus one from the organisation with the most members among those established in other provinces | 4 |
| d | The organisation with the most members among those formed by the board chairs and/or journalist staff of nationally broadcasting radio and/or television outlets | 1 |
| f | The union with the most press-card-holding members among those operating as workers' unions | 2 |
Art. 30/2 requires a quality in the members: the members designated under subparagraphs (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) are as a rule chosen from professionals who have held a press card for at least five years.
The third paragraph brings a stability rule: changes that may occur in the membership numbers of the bodies represented during a member's term are disregarded.
Second Role: A Source of Information
Under Art. 29 the Directorate may request information and documents about press card applicants from professional press organisations. The list also includes governorships, the Directorate General of Criminal Records and Statistics, tax offices, the Social Security Institution, the Directorate General of Civil Registration and Citizenship Affairs and the Press Advertising Agency.
Third Role: Obtaining a Press Card
Art. 7/1-f of the Regulation: a press card may be issued to the officers of unions and of associations and foundations determined to act in the public interest, provided they operate in the media field.
We cover this in the association and union officer guide.
Fourth Role: The Notification Under Law No. 5953
Art. 9 of Law No. 5953 also gives professional organisations a role: the making of the contract by the employer, and its termination by the terminating party, are notified within fifteen days by declaration to the Regional Directorate of Labour, the civil administration and, if the journalist is a member, their union, otherwise the professional organisation with the most members.
The Source of the Right to Unionise
Art. 22 of Law No. 5953, on unions, is repealed (15/7/1963 - Art. 33 of Law No. 274). The subject has been transferred to the general union legislation; a journalist's right to unionise arises from Art. 51 of the Constitution and the general union legislation.
Summary
- A professional press organisation is an association, foundation or union formed by media outlet staff, owners, legal person representatives or board chairs, together with their umbrella bodies.
- It designates eight members of the Press Card Commission, is among the Directorate's sources of information, its officers may obtain a card on conditions, and it is the addressee of the notifications under Art. 9 of Law No. 5953.